I’ve been shocked that Americans are in such a grumpy mood, as reflected in all the public opinion polls.
What a paradox: At the same time, we have peace and prosperity, including more income, more wealth, more of almost everything that we want to buy (yes, except for housing), Americans seem to think we have an “affordability crisis.” In 2025, the median household income in the United States had risen to more than $86,000 a year — an all-time high.
Every income group and every ethnic group is richer today than ever before. Hispanics now have a median household income above $70,000, which would make them rich in most countries where they or their parents came from.
This upward slope of living standards has been the norm throughout our history as a nation, but this past year has been one of the blockbusters, with incomes rising almost twice as fast as inflation.
It hasn’t happened by accident. It’s happened because at the start of 2025, we had a regime change in Washington. In Donald Trump, we have a president whose common-sense economic, education, energy, environment, and financial policies have worked.
I don’t agree with all the policies, such as some of the high tariffs, which are a mixed bag at best.
But few presidents have recorded more achievements and positive results in one year than Trump.
Here are some of them as we round out Trump 2.0, year one:
Median family income after inflation has risen by $1,250.
Incomes of the bottom 25% have risen after inflation. This is not a “rich getting richer, poor getting poorer story.” It’s a “rising tide that lifts all boats” story.
The wealth of the average family in their 401k plans is UP by an average of $21,000 — reversing a more than $20,000 real decline under Joe Biden.
As many as 1 million additional families will have access to higher-performing schools thanks to Trump’s education savings accounts.
No tax on tips and overtime starts on Jan. 1, 2026, for millions of American workers.
The federal budget deficit — a clear and present danger — was down by roughly 2.5% in 2025 and is already down by another 170 billion in the first two months of fiscal year 2026, despite the Trump tax cuts.
Our servicemen and servicewomen received a well-deserved $1,776 end-of-year bonus.
Through the first half of the year (according to the latest numbers available), crime in cities is way down. Gun assaults were down 21%, aggravated assaults were down 10%, sexual assaults were down 10%, and carjackings were down 24% compared to levels under Biden.
Illegal immigration is down 92% from the peak levels of entry under Biden.
The United States is producing more oil and gas than at any other time in American history.
Gas prices, which approached $5 a gallon under Biden, are down to $2.89 a gallon today.
The swamp in Washington is being drained: Federal employment is down by nearly 300,000.
A record 400+ intrusive regulations have been eliminated, including repealing racial quotas in hiring, reversing Biden rules mandating that Americans buy electric vehicles, and allowing more drilling for critical minerals.
The absurd and unfair student loan “forgiveness” program has been canceled.
The stock market reached all-time highs on all three major indices: the S&P 500, the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
There’s much more to celebrate, and there are also some bad things happening in our country that Trump hasn’t fixed (yet), like our corrupt and outlandishly expensive health care system and declining test scores in our public schools.
It’s amazing what a difference a president who puts America first can make.
Yet young people in particular are grim in their outlook. They’re oblivious to how blessed they are to be in America at this unique moment of peace and unprecedented prosperity, to have a future with all the economic signs pointing north. They still don’t get it.
I feel like the angel Clarence in the iconic 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” who convinces Jimmy Stewart at the end of the movie: “You see, George, you’ve really had a wonderful life.”
Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and the cofounder of Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for education freedom for all children.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
It continues to be sad despite of all the “good” that President Trump and his administration have accomplished overall, that the people to continue to believe the lies of the Democrats and MSM. I have seen several billboards from the Democrats in my area of how they are blaming President Trump and the Republican party for the high cost of commodities that the Democrats brought on themselves while they held the reins of power. We are seeing from special elections how the Democrats are regaining power in the Congress. The Republicans had best get off their behinds as the 2026 election cycle is just around the corner and the margin is too darn close.
There would be more MAGA accomplishments to write about if it weren’t for the soulless, radical liberal judges making their anti-American rulings.
It seems like everyone says negative things about tariffs. President Trump has expertly used them to level the trade playing field and mainly to bring manufacturing and investment back to America.
It took the previous president four years of unfettered interference to royally screw this country up. It’ll take the current president than a year to unscrew it and make it better for all of us. BE PATIENT. Stop falling for the liberal propaganda bullshit.
Some people, especially the spoon fed are lazy, uninformed and impatient. They will believe everything bad about President Trump despite facts to the contrary. Dems created this ongoing mess and whiners want instant gratification. Bottom line they hate Donald Trump personally because they’re told to and they will blame him either coming or going despite his many accomplishments, seen and unseen.
Even though there is a lot of competition in the legacy media today, the left still controls the majority of the information. So, when any Republican, let alone President Donald Trump, is in office they are always fighting an uphill battle for accurate information to get to the public. Thank the Good Lord that Elon Musk came along and bought X. Otherwise we would be in deep stuff. We have a good 10 months til the midterms and things are getting better every day. President Trump had an uphill battle with the horrible mess left behind by the democrats. 2026 is so important. The left will turn out. We must too.
The news media is excellent in demonizing President Trump, and they are continually trying to make people believe the sky is falling as long as he is in office. They’re obeying the people who pay their salaries. In addition, those who do nothing but have their hands out for freebies will continue to vote for those who give away our tax dollars to feed their sloth.
No Hes a SUPER PRESIDENT No 1 else can beat his record since Jan
For many of us in the blue states who did not vote our leaders in, every thing our president does to improve the countries situation, the un-elected leaders in the blue states destroy, everything this president does. Our taxes are higher, etc. Making a list does not help the situation, we in the blue state need prayer for the corruption to be exposed and turn this state back into a red state, like it once was. We cannot afford to stay and we cannot afford to leave. Grouping everyone in a blue state together as lazy, ignorant people does not help us to believe those making such comment even care about those who live in oppression in such situations, you make us feel un-American, when we have literally put our lives on the line for a free country. Do not group us together with the dems in blue states.
I do not trust polls, somehow I smell Democrat misinformation. They cannot stand this country succeeding and above all they cannot stand Donald Trump succeeding. I don’t trust anything the Democrats say or the media says any more than I would trust my sister telling me to go ahead and touch the electric fence it’s turned off, honest.
I am sorry that so many people in the United States have not given President Trump a good rating. I am so happy that he was elected. He is trying to fix so many broken things in record time. There are just so many hours in the day. We all should praise God for giving President Trump. I guess so many people have not heard that Billions of dollars were stolen in Minnesota. Just take a second and think what this country would be like if Harris and Waltz would become our President and Vice-President. Together they would have destroyed the United States.
I admit to being a bit grumpy lately myself! This article was just the medicine I needed to remind me that CNN, MS NOW, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, all (except CNN and MS) the legacy media, newspapers, magazines, etc. are bald faced liars on any given day and should be ignored.
Everything you wrote, Mr. Moore, was uplifting, informative, and true. When Mamdani won NYC, I nearly threw in the towel (again) on our country because WHY DID ANY MORON VOTE FOR A COMMUNIST??? I cannot answer that question and it bugs me. Reading your article was a joy for me!
However, if those of us who voted for Trump and know what a great (but not perfect) job for the CITIZENS of the USA he is doing, and not pushing dumb stuff like open borders and ending police. Dumbest of all – the paid No-Kings idiots who don’t even know what their signs even mean and so much more idiotic propaganda, the lies, the anger and hatred spewed by TDS sufferers – it wears me down!
I don’t understand WHY the conservatives, the largest group in our country as of this writing, aren’t rising up and taking down Obama, Hillary, and Gaven Newscum, Biden and son, and SO MANY OTHER Democrats who have gotten very wealthy, somehow, and are getting away with, at the very least, embezzling money from every government program they can. I loved the reference Mr. Moore made to the downfall of public education in America due to a corrupt administrator and, evidently, nobody watching over her. Go look up the worldwide statistics on education today in USA compared to every other country in the world. It will stun you! How far we have dropped!!
I wish Trump could fix it all and I think he’s doing his best, but We, the People, are not hearing about it!! How do we fix the progressive agenda of the mainstream media? We have no power, but media has WAY TOO MUCH power!
Thank you, sir. Excellent positive examples of making America Great Again. Now, when will the believers in MAGA finally step up and start fighting back? We can have marches with the TRUTH written on our posters! I feel like we NEED to step up our game. If we don’t, the 2026 outcome will be insanely disastrous for us!!
Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year, everyone!!!
Just think how good it would be if only two or three Democrats in the House and 2 or 3 in the Senate would Buck their Party and help President Trump get some of his agenda passed. They would be hero’s in the eye’s of millions of struggling Americans, pardon me dreaming that even a few Demonrats would want to help America!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless America
The only negative thing in this article is the tariffs and actually that is one of the most positive important parts of President Trump’s overall policy to bring America back to Greatness. Every country in the world has tariffs on American imports and have since WWII because we let them since we were basically the only country unscathed from destruction during the war and essentially we supplied the whole world while they were trying to get back on their feet, making tons of money off our exports so their governments which were broke had a huge income and we sold everything so cheap it didn’t hurt their citizens. But over the last 30 to 40 years the tariffs finally got us blocked from selling anything because we gave the rest of the world, including our traditional enemies, all of our industrial manufacturing technologies and then they stole the rest putting us completely out of business in all major manufacturing categories from shipbuilding to shoemaking. The opposition tariffs are temporarily hurting but we must stay the course and take the short term pain so America can return to producing at least what we need. They are obviously working because the lowest estimate of long-term heavy industrial investment in this year alone is $30 trillion and as high as $72 trillion. We’ll see how these estimates pan out. Most people don’t have a clue about Trump’s brilliant business/economic plan for America , especially those village “idiots” commonly referred to as the deep state. Remember President Trump is an honor graduate of Wharton Business school and people that can’t get into Wharton have to take a major step down and go to Harvard business school.Be patient and hold on because if his plan can continue on course we could eventually have incredible economic growth like back in the 50s when we were growing at a breakneck pace of 9 percent, oh and paying off our huge national debt every year until 63 or 64. Hang in there. Oh and all the Dims can do is beg to have the Epstein file released. Clueless.
I can understand the negativity. We as a Nation have been screwed by the government for so long that it is hard for many to see the light at the end of the tunnel. President Trump is first a businessman and then our Leader. He is used to being hard and sometimes sarcastic. But he is putting America First as he promised. He doesn’t need more wealth and he is using his business experience to Make America Great Again. Love him or hate him, he is lifting all Americans up. Smile and enjoy the ride.
We had a wonderful life this past year. Investments were up. Savings accounts were getting decent interest. Everything we lost under Biden we have earned back under Trump. Only the democrats are screaming not true. Of course, they have to. A democrat admitting he did something wrong? Never happen. Now they are busy destroying Christianity. Freedom from Religion doesn’t want the Bible listed any where in school essays. Or nativity scenes on city property or a Christianity Governor saying Merry Christmas. On the other hand we can say I think what Freedom from Religion are doing is restraining Christian’s from their religious practices at this time of the year. It really upsets us Christians for the actions of this organization. It is hurtful and against the law. Freedom of religion means just that and it means that no government or any person or organization shall interfere with that. But with everything the democrats attack they don’t care about the laws or the constitution. I am waiting to see an organization called Freedom from Free Speech. I am surprised it hasn’t happened yet. All to destroy the constitution. The democrats make their own laws by obstructing the freedoms provided in the constitution.
President Trump made the democrat voter rich as well. Did they overlook that? Of course. They’ll take it and destroy president Trump at the same time. They will not succeed. More and more evil and crookedness will come out. May you all have a Merry Christmas and celebrate the birth of Jesus for years to come.
The mess we are in did not happen out of nowhere ,all of a sudden, it took years of people voting in scoundrels and cheaters, it can’t be fixed in four years, to expect that is unrealistic, to promise that is irresponsible. It will take few right election choices
I’m almost 77 and the government has done nothing to stop eroding the value of the dollar. The nation is nearly $39 trillion dollars in debt, not including unfunded liabilities. The price of gold has gone from $20.62 in 1913 (creation of Federal Reserve Bank) to $4,501.55 today. The U. S. dollar Is a bad joke. Gold’s value doesn’t change, so look at what the government has done to the dollars value. Further, the government always lies about how much inflation there is and how it’s caused. Only the government creates inflation by devaluing the currency. If I’m lucky, my wife and I have enough savings to last through next year. We’ve been forced to use our savings for the last three to take care of unplanned expenses, but price increases have sped up the process. Unless prices come down significantly, I’m not sure how we keep going. Trump’s great, but Congress controls the value of money.
It’s not what he has done but what he has not done. We like everything done during his first year. But we want to see high profile Democrats in handcuffs, thrown in prison. We want to see the money they stole from us confiscated and returned. We want to see accountability! Otherwise it just shows us there really is a level at which the law no longer matters and Dems can do anything they please with no consequences.
Thank you. Trump is a wonderful President. Even the tariffs are wonderful. Before 1913 our nation mostly relied on tariffs, and seldom ever used an income tax. I think they considered income tax to be a theft of a persons livelihood. We will see the benefit of everything he is doing for us. It is on us to stay awake and vote in people who support what he is doing.
I’m sorry but I’ve got friends being laid off in their 50s and can’t find jobs cuz of their age! Groceries are twice what they were and as a senior we don’t get big raises. I’m grateful to be alive and healthy but there are still economic issues that need attention. The country may seem safer but there’s still too much violence out there! We need more Jesus this Christmas and less ho ho ho! Without Jesus there is No Christmas! Christ is born! Glorify Him!
The mainstream media will never report these good tidings. They push doom and gloom. This is what our young people keep hearing. Lies and more lies from the media. Thank God for AMAC and the likes of. Parents need to tell their children these wonderful good tidings in this article and show them the proof.
Thank you Mr. President!
Not all income groups have increased by leaps and bounds. Those on social security are still on very low incomes and very set income.
Wonder WHO took those Surveys & WHERE they were taken? I do not trust Surveys. I believe President Trump has made amazing progress in setting the USA back on its feet, & He’s just getting started. The News media, for the most part, cannot be trusted. They are ‘bought’ & they do Not print the truth. The USA is regaining its balance after all the Destruction heaped on us by the 0’biden administration. Don’t be so quick to join the negative chorus…Positive Thinking, Action , & Prayer goes a long way!!
President Trump is great and has done great things!! The Democratic Party is clearly an enemy to America and the American people as well as President Trump!!
President Trump has done only great things for this country and the American people!! President Trump has done more to save our country in the past year than Bush, Obama and Biden all combined! When you look at Biden and Obama they and the Socialist Democratic Party did everything they could to destroy our country and still are!! We need President Trump to continue to fight for our country and to continue to fight the enemies within our borders and the government!!! Thank you President Trump and God Bless you and your Family!!!
Optimism and gratitude tend to increase the same, and there are plenty of things to be grateful for. The list is long.
We need to demand O’Bama be heid accountable for the treasonous act of subverting the will of the people since 2016. And for stealing the election in 2020. He is no friend of the United States. I don’t know how his actions involving the false narritive of Trump being a Russian asset could not be an act of treason
If only he would get rid of Daylight Savings Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Many people, of all age groups, don’t get it. I credit Main Street Media for that. MSM continues to spread TDS messaging and people actually believe it. Blind leading blind. Blind following blind. It’s like a political shark feeding frenzy.
I agree, on the outside, things are on the uptick … but unemployment low? I will question that one. Median income $86k? Okay, I have been retired now almost 8 years … but I never made more than $36k … do you mean if I held out retirement for 9 years, I’d be making $50k more a year? I always considered myself middle class, trade school educated. So maybe I needed a degree and some fancy new math to understand those numbers. We are sinking boats off of the coast of Venezuela … still embroiled in helping finance Ukraine in their skirmish against Russia … and killing in Somalia. Gas prices are down … food prices still up. Housing still an issue. We are certainly better off regarding our border than with JOE & HO … but it’s still a mixed bag. Fortunately we have 3 more years of ‘The Donald’ but I don’t anticipate peace, or that many democrats will become pro Trump.
I voted for Trump twice that said I’m making below poverty level so my wage class is not getting any better as of this date maybe it will change I’m hoping it’s soon guess we’ll see
Right on Stephen, and it’s not just the students and youth that don’t get it. It’s the older adults who are still thinking Democratic means “better opportunities for the little guy.” What is worse is their fierce reticence to learn what is going on in the other party………which is everything you just stated and more. Let’s hope for a new light and understanding for 2026 when maybe, just maybe they will see some of the Biden’s, Clintons and Obama in new striped suits spending time in their little 12×15 metal mansions. That would be good for the entire country and world to see that self-serving politicians who neglect their duties and smother other people with debt are paying their own just dues! OH, IF ONLY.
What else can be expected from the lard-a$$ed, no-life-experiences ‘young people? They have no real life experiences, besides their parents buying them a new phone every 15 minutes (see what MY phone can do!?). No meaningful job, they stare at you, endlessly, expressionless and with mouths gaped open. And their best friend ‘Trixie” tells them all about how Trump is all ‘delulu’ with ‘no riz’.
They know LESS than AOC…
Welcome, Mike from Omaha!
I voted for him, Trump. I don’t like some of the things he is doing. If it doesn’t directly hit your family, then you can say it is good what he is doing. There are family that are in need of a lot of things. One thing that he did affected my family was the social security. My sister is 87 years old. She saved some of her money for her funeral expense so she can take care of own expense. Will, what happened was the social security went into her account and found the savings. She lost her Medicaid, and her SSI. Now she is struggling with her monthly expense. One thing she did was set herself up for the funeral expense when her time comes. So not all families are satisfied. I think about her, if she
didn’t have us, she be in bad shape. Thanked Creator, she has us. She voted Trump too.
Many Americans just regurgitate the last bit of national information they hjave been fed by their information source of choice. Descriptive declarations by pollsters and authors of opinion pieces press upon the public favored narratives. No one who has little time to pursue indpendent research on topics of the day can rely upon the truth and wisdom of those paid to publish and broadcast the latest propaganda. So, Americans are “…grumpy..,” and for good reason.
Unless you live in a blue state.
Hard to badmouth Trump after 4 yeas of Biden (or whoever was running the government – Mrs., Dr., First Lady Jill?) But his love for Chinese college students and H-1b Visas are really hard for me to swallow. I thought that his was an America First administration.
…yet with those accomplishments President Trump has failed to do the major things that he was elected to do. So how does that work for you. Nothing is happening on accountability for the overthrow of the American government that took place in 2020. NOT one of the conspirators has been charged, arrested, etc. We still have an invading army occupying our nation and Trump and minions do absolutely nothing about it. We have a subversive force still in place and striving to destroy our nation and Trump and minions do absolutely NOTHING about it. I did not vote for him to play around with his rich terrorist friends, accept extravagant gifts, and to stand around bragging about all of his non-accomplishments. I could care less if the rest of the world is at war. Let them kill each other, that is fine with me. I am sick and tired of hearing about how great the killers and murderers of this world are because I know what they are and GOOD is not one of them. I am sick of the BS about how great big pharma is and how wonderful it is that they are not going to continue stealing us blind. I am sick of hearing the BS about any of the evil leaders of big business of any type and the claims that they are “WONDERFUL, CARING, People” when we all know that they work directly for satan.
I am 79 years old and I have put up with this crap for most of my life and I am sick of it all.